My muse this week is Nate Dominguez. Nate and his lovely wife Kelley own BNI Arizona.

Sure many of us know that Business Networking International (BNI) is “the world’s largest referral organization” with over 150,000 members worldwide in over fifty-eight countries worldwide. However, did you know, that just last year alone, BNI Arizona members passed roughly 44 million dollars in referral business to one another? Regardless of who you are, that is a respectable number.

WHY NATE QUALIFIES AS ONE OF THE FEARLESS 13:

The three biggest things that impress me most about Nate are:

At such a young age he is leading an organization that has done 44 million dollars worth of good for so many families in Arizona.

He actually believes that “Givers Gain” and he passionately and actively practices what he preaches.

He is an incredible husband, father, son, friend and active member of the community.

In a nutshell….

At age thirty-three, Nate has done measurably more than many of us will do in a lifetime for more people. Now yes, he follows a formula that the founder Ivan Misner laid out for BNI; however, how many of us actually follow direction and can say we have made that kind of an impact on anything, especially so early in his career? Quite frankly, not many of us can. Nate and his wife Kelley are in the game of life and making a significant impact in Arizona’s economy while raising three incredible children.

I should also say that I am proud to be a member of BNI Arizona in the Business Leaders of North Scottsdale (BLoNS) group with Nate as a fellow member. I am also very privileged to call him and his wife Kelley friends.

FEARLESS INTERVIEW

Nate took a few minutes out to answer the five Art of Fearlessly Doing Business Questions. If you know Nate and have heard him present expertly in front of hundreds of people, you will be surprised to hear what the first fear he had to overcome was public speaking.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM NATE ABOUT BEING FEARLESS?

1.) Don’t be Afraid to Fill Big Shoes

Taking over a family business seems like it might be the easier, softer way to pursue a career,but what if your Dad is a rock star like former BNI Arizona owner and BNI International CEO Norm Dominguez ? How do you comfortably step into those shoes at twenty-three with a fear of speaking publically? Well you just do it, one step at a time.

2.) Be Willing to Walk Through Discomfort

If we are not willing to be uncomfortable then we will never overcome and outgrow our fears. If we don’t just jump in and conquer our fears, twenty-three quickly turns into fifty-three with no growth. There is only one thing worse than being a fearful young person, that’s being a fearful older person. Don’t be afraid to outgrow your fears!

3.) Vigorous Action is the Antidote to Fear

Nate humbly recognized his intense fear of public speaking. He then created a powerful strategy to overcome that fear by first educating himself and then repeatedly putting himself in positions where he had to speak publically. As a result, Nate not only overcame his fear of public speaking; he turned his fear into one of his strongest assets.

4.) Humbly Recognize in Advance how a Shortcoming could Derail you in the Future

Being aware of and honest about a shortcoming is the first step to turning it into an asset. Nate has already demonstrated this fact by conquering his fear of public speaking. Recognizing a bump in the road in advance of putting on the breaks and derailing yourself is smart, not only in business but in life .I have no doubt that Nate will conquer his fear of technology by educating himself and by hiring smart people who can take the pain out of his learning curve for him. By the way we do not have to be experts at everything. We can hire people who are experts to get us where we are going by either managing a project or managing the people to complete the project!

5.) Don’t Quit on the First Yard Line!

In the past ten years as a business leader and the owner of BNI Arizona, Nate has seen a lot of people give up way too soon. This is where Nate is a powerful example. I know that he has had sleepless nights. He has had to suit up and show up when he may have momentarily wanted to give up, hide or maybe not care so much. I have watched Nate do what all of us survivors must do to make it through these totally human times so that he is not one of those people who gives up before the miracle happens. Here are some strategies he uses in all aspects of his life to fearlessly deliver success.

He regularly asks for counsel from those he admires and trusts.

He surrounds himself with talented, smart people who make him laugh.

He strives for work-life balance.

He keeps life in perspective and is vocally grateful.

Thank you so much Nate for taking the time out to be one of the Fearless 13!

Note from the Artist:NATES’S ILLUSTRATION’S STORY:

The mouths and the microphones symbolize public speaking and Nate’s biggest fear to get started. Every member in BNI has an opportunity to do a ten-minute presentation and speak at each meeting for up to forty-five seconds about his or her business as well as give other business owners testimonials. If you are in leadership like Nate, you get more opportunities to speak at educational and business meetings.

The hands are the people who belong to BNI. The bubbles are their thirty second presentations. The punctuation I have chosen in the bubbles have a meaning too.

The (#) sign equals Metrics. BNI is a big believer in what gets measured, gets done.

The (+) represents Chapter Growth. Chapters with over thirty members survive and prosper while those with fewer struggle.

The ($) equals Referral Business. The reason we all come to BNI is to grow our business and increase our cash flow.

The (!!!) equates to Excitement and Passion. You can expect to hear the enthusiasm at a thriving BNI meeting.

The (&) equals Givers Gain. BNI members know that when we give to one another we gain in more ways then one.

The (?) represents Education. BNI is a big believer in education and training.

Work was shown from December 18, 2015 – January 04, 2016 at {9} The Gallery

Entrepreneurs and inspiring stories of all kinds are Fearlessly Deliver’s muse and focus. As an artist, a business woman and a visual journalist Michelle Micalizzi paints with a purpose. The Fearless Art Projects are collaborative social practice art engagements that connect art + business + community.

THE ART OF FEARLESSLY DONG BUSINESS is an unprecedented and unique project celebrates the fearless entrepreneurial spirit by highlighting thirteen unique and fearless business leaders.